Grand Theft Auto: McReary Stories
by Alexneushoorn
Summary: Inspired by Pride of the McReary. After the death of his cousin Kate, Liam McReary returns to Liberty City for her funeral, and is determined to restore his family's criminal empire to its former glory. With an underworld filled with murderers, shills and pyschopaths, will Liam be able to succeed in his goal?
1. A McReary's Tragedy

**Author's Note: This story was inspired by Pride of the McReary by Schizophillic, and therefore, the first chapter and part of the next chapter are similar to that story. I am not in any way trying to plagiarize their work and I am only trying to give my own shot at the concept of the original story. Without further ado, enjoy the story.**

**Belfast, Ireland, 2008**

A house with typical Irish furniture was standing within a middle class neighborhood of the Irish city of Belfast. There were a few pictures of some Irish people in the house, and they appeared to be pictures of an Irish family. As the sun shined through the front window of the house, a phone that was lying on the coffee table in the living room began zooming as an Irish ballad named "Danny Boy" began playing as its ringtone. Said ballad soon stopped playing as the caller was redirected to the phone owner's voicemail.

"'Ello, you've reached the voicemail of Liam McReary. I'm current unavailable 'cause of whatever reason it is that I'm unavailable, but leave a message, and if it's important, I might ring ya back. Speak!" Is what the voicemail said. The caller then spoke in a message for the phone owner, Liam McReary.

"Liam? It's Patrick, your cousin from Liberty City..." The caller spoke. His voice sounded as if he had been crying. "Listen, it's Katie...She's...well, she's dead...It would mean a lot to me, Ma, Derrick...what's left of us anyway, if you came to her funeral...Please call back as soon as you can..." Patrick sighed, sounding melancholic. The message then ended.

About 45 mintues after Packie's voicemail message, Liam McReary entered the house, exhausted from a long day consisting of a long car chase with some street punks. Liam was a Caucasian Irish-American man in his mid 20s who had light green eyes along with short shaven brown hair and a brown handlebar mustache. He wore a green t-shirt underneath a black leather biker jacket along with torn black jeans and black motorcycle boots. Liam kicked off his boots and slammed the front door behind him, finding his phone on the coffee table in the living room.

"Aha, there ya are! I was looking for ya all day!" Liam told his phone. He spoke in a thick Irish accent. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and plopped down on the couch, looking through the voicemails he's received that day. He's had three voicemails, and listened to them.

"Oi, Liam. It's your mate, Shelton. I enjoyed last Saturday night's out drinking. We really gotta do that shit again sometime, matey. Talk to ya soon!" Is what the first voicemail read. Liam smiled and chuckled and went to the next voicemail.

"Greetings, sir. This is Duncan O'Neal, and I'm calling with the Irish National Lottery. Would you be interested in-" The voicemail cut off as Liam quickly deleted it. He hated it whenever someone from the lottery would call him. He considered the lottery to be a waste of money and therefore referred to them as "The People's Extortion Commission". He then went to the third and final voicemail.

"Liam? It's Patrick, your cousin from Liberty City...Listen, it's Katie...She's...well, she's dead...It would mean a lot to me, Ma, Derrick...what's left of us anyway, if you came to her funeral...Please call back as soon as you can..."

Liam's face lost all expression upon hearing the last voicemail. "...Fuck...not fucking Katie..." He muttered. He was close with most of his cousins, especially Kate. He never expected Kate to die, because she was the most innocent out of all the McRearys. He knew that him, Derrick, Francis, Gerald and Packie would burn in hell for their crimes, but he expected Kate to find her significant other and have a happy life with them, but it didn't get to be.

Like his cousins in Liberty City, Liam had four other siblings himself. His eldest brother was Ernie, who worked as a barista at a café in the Netherlands. His second eldest brother was Leopold, who he looked down upon for his job in politics. He was never a fan of the government, and therefore considered Leopold a fool for, in his words "crawling up the government's ass". The middle child of Liam's siblings was his first sister, Gwen, who was happily married and had three children with an African man named Eddy. Liam was always supportive of her innocence, and was happy that she could grow old with Eddy. Being the second youngest of him and his siblings, his youngest sibling was Courtney, who worked at a community center in Belfast, similar to what Kate did back in Liberty City before her death.

Liam sighed. He could never cope with the death of a loved one. After his mother died, he became very aggressive and would snap at the slightest mention of her, much to his father's disapproval. He then proceeded to call Packie and told him he'd be coming to Liberty City for the funeral. He then proceeded to head to his computer and book a flight to Liberty City. Once he had done that, he turned off his computer and phone and went upstairs. "Well, better get to packing and then head right to bed..." Liam muttered.

The next day, he left his house with two suitcases, both mostly filled with clothes. He was disappointed he couldn't bring his own customized Irish guns with him on the plane, so he'd have to buy some lower grade American ones when he got to Liberty City. A Caucasian human man with brown eyes and medium length curly blonde hair wearing a yellow t-shirt underneath a tan jacket with torn blue jeans and blue and white shoes was standing outside Liam's house with a green sports car with black tinted windows and golden shamrock rims on the wheels.

"'Ey, Liam! Great to see ya again, laddie!" The blonde haired man told Liam in a cheerful and welcoming voice.

"'Ello, Walter. Thanks for bringing me to the airport today. My car broke down yesterday and I don't have the time to fix it." Liam replied.

"Anytime, man. Lock up the house while I get your baggage loaded." Walter replied as he took Liam's suitcases and stuffed them in the back of his sports car. "Going somewhere nice?" He asked Liam.

"I'm off to Liberty City. It's for a cousin's funeral." Liam replied.

"Shit, man. Sorry for your loss." Walter replied back, trying to comfort his friend.

"Nah, it's fine. At least she don't have to suffer the criminal antics of my other cousins anymore. What's left of my cousins, anyway, but enough about that." Liam replied back.

"Alrighty. How long are you gonna be gone from Ireland?" Walter asked Liam.

Liam shrugged. "Not sure. Perhaps as long as I have to be. I've got a family in Liberty City who really needs me right now, so I won't be coming back for a long time. Plus, it's a breath of fresh air to see some other stomping grounds for a bit. I was getting tired of Ireland, and there's a whole different world outside of here." He explained.

Walter nodded. "But you are coming back some time, right? Wouldn't wanna come up there and drag ya back." He chuckled.

Liam rolled his eyes. "Yes, Walter, I am coming back for a visit some time. Now let's get going, I don't wanna miss my flight."

"'Course, Liam. Let's roll." Walter replied before the two of them got into his sports car and buckled up. Walter then sped off with screeching tires, speeding through traffic to get Liam dropped off at the airport in time. They arrived there, and the two friends got out the car as Liam grabbed his suitcases from the trunk.

"Walter, thanks for the ride. Tell Chip and the boys I said goodbye, yeah?" Liam told Walter as he hugged him.

"I will, Liam. Good luck in Liberty City. We'll miss ya." Walter returned the hug and waved Liam off as he entered the airport. Liam walked up to the luggage mill and put his suitcases on it. Once he got by the checkup he was allowed to get on the plane. He boarded the plane and plopped down in his seat. As the plane took off for Liberty City, "the worst place in America", Liam looked around him. He saw people sleeping, looking out the plane window or minding their own business otherwise.

"I might as well take a quick snooze, since I'm gonna be on this plane for a while..." Liam thought to himself as he shut his eyes and drifted off to Dreamland. A while later, he woke up to a pilot's announcement.

"Attention, all passengers! We're arriving in Liberty City right now! The current time is 4:35 PM! We thank you for flying with our airline, and we hope to see you fly with us again soon!" The pilot spoke over the intercom.

Having a seat by the window, Liam looked out of it and saw Liberty City. He saw the financially successful Algonquin, the run down Bohan, and the ethnically diverse Dukes. He hasn't been to Liberty City in years, and he couldn't help but wonder how Packie and the others have been all this time. He was gonna find out soon enough.

The plane touched down on the runway, and once it pulled up to the terminal, Liam could get off and got his suitcases. He walked through the loud and crowded halls of Francis International Airport carrying his suitcases and proceeded to leave the airport. Liam put down his suitcases and looked around to see if he could find Packie. Since taxis were "a license to steal" in Packie's words, he offered to pick Liam up.

"Where the fuck is he...?" Liam wondered as he continued to look for Packie. Soon, Packie drove up to him in a green Oracle, then got out.

"Liam! Cousin! I can't believe it! You're here!" Packie laughed as he walked over to Liam.

"Hey!" Liam exclaimed as he hugged Packie. "It's so good to see you, cousin!" He told Packie before letting go of him.

"Same here. I'm sure Katie would've been glad to see you as well..." Packie replied as his tone became a bit more bleak. Liam could see in Packie's eyes that he was more devastated by Kate's death than he showed. Nonetheless, Packie opened up the trunk of the Oracle and helped Liam put his suitcases inside.

"Yeah. I thought that out of all the McRearys here in LC, she would be the one to find a nice man and grow old with him. Apparently not..." Liam sighed.

"Yeah, it's a fucking tragedy..." Packie sighed before clearing his throat. "But shit happens, I guess. Come on, let's get to Ma's house. You haven't been there in years, so let's get over there." He added before him and Liam got into the Oracle and drove off to the McReary Residence, with Packie behind the wheel.

"So, how are Auntie Maureen, Derrick and Gerald?" Liam asked Packie as they were driving towards the McReary Residence.

"Ma's out with a few friends to lighten her mood, Derrick's asleep at home and Gerald's in prison for a long time." Packie replied.

Liam nodded. "It's been, what, a decade ago since I've last been to LC? Or has it been even longer...? I can't even remember..." He said, scratching his head.

"Well, it was about time ya came back to LC then, Liam. We're glad you decided to come when we needed you the most. I'm sure Ma and Derrick'll appreciate it. Plus, I'm sure Gerry would be glad to see you again as well, even if he's seeing you on the other side of a glass wall." Packie replied as he had his left hand on the wheel and his right hand on the transmission.

"Yeah...I hope he'll put me on the visitors list..." Liam sighed as he looked out the window.

"I'll tell him to do so next time I visit him, I promise." Packie replied again before they arrived at the McReary Residence. "Here we are. Savannah Avenue. Let's go inside." Packie remarked before him and Liam got out of the green Oracle, grabbed Liam's suitcases from the trunk and went inside.

Liam looked around as him and Packie entered the living room. The house was still looking the same as ever, with photographs of the McReary family standing around and several cracks in the walls, which stemmed from the McReary brothers' several fights growing up. One crack that stood out to Liam was when him and Packie fought Francis when they were little. Francis had always been Liam's least favorite cousin since he was a hypocrite who hid his criminal ways behind a shiny badge and weaseled his way up the authority ladder within the LCPD. That said, when Liam heard that Francis had died, he didn't feel anything. In fact, he was even glad.

Packie could see Liam staring at the crack, and laughed. "That crack is loaded with old memories, ain't it?" He gave Liam a pat on the back and put down his suitcases next to the couch. "Have a seat, I'll go get us something to drink. Ya like whiskey?" Packie asked his cousin.

"Do I look like a pussy? Of course I like whisky! And make sure it's extra strong!" Liam laughed. Packie laughed as well and he poured some for both Liam and himself. They toasted and drank their whiskey. They soon heard footsteps upstairs.

"By me Ma's first gray hairs, that was the best nap I've had in quite a while..." Derrick muttered before letting out a huge yawn and going downstairs.

"Hey, Derrick. Had a good sleep after ya drank all the fucking booze ya could get your hands on last night?" Packie joked.

"I ain't in the mood for your bad jokes, Patrick. You know that I went on the piss because I couldn't stand the sight of you and Ma being devastated by Katie's death." Derrick told his younger brother while pointing his right index finger at him.

"Whatever, like I said before, at least I'm honest about my habits, Derrick." Packie teased before finishing his whiskey.

"And like I said before, you don't know nothing about nothing, Patrick. I'm honest about me demons." Derrick replied back before noticing Liam. "Curse me demons...Liam? Is it really you?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Derrick. It's really me. Come on and gimme a hug, ya old smackhead." Liam told his eldest cousin before putting his glass of whiskey down on the table and giving Derrick a hug.

"Glad to have you back, Liam." Derrick told Liam before turning to Packie. "Where's Ma?" He asked Packie.

"Out with a few friends. She needed to lighten her mood for a bit." Packie informed him.

"Alright. I'm going to Burger Shot. Haven't eaten anything since I just woke up." Derrick then said.

"Burger Shot for breakfast again? That's the third time this week, Derrick." Packie pointed out.

"I promise I'll have a normal breakfast again tomorrow, Patrick. Me word as an Irishman." Derrick promised Packie before walking out the door and getting into a green Willard and drove off towards the nearest Burger Shot.

Liam and Packie watched him take off and Liam finished his whiskey as well, putting his glass down on the table. "Well, with that out of the way, how about we go out for a ride? It's been too long since you were last here, so I might as well take you out sightseeing. Let's go, Liam." Packie told Liam as they got up and went outside to the green Oracle that was still parked outside the McReary Residence. "How about you take her for a spin, Liam?" Packie asked Liam.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Liam replied before he got into the driver's seat and Packie got into the passenger's seat. The two of them then drove off to go sightseeing around Liberty City. They drove through Dukes before heading into Broker. "Man, no wonder Americans are so fat! There's a Burger Shot or Cluckin' Bell at every fucking street corner! It's as bad as back home in Ireland, where there's a pub at every fucking street corner!" Liam remarked as he drove through Liberty City.

"Since when did you become a fucking nutrionist, Liam? I remember you eating meat by the fucking truckload when you were little." Packie laughed as they passed the remains of Roman Bellic's burnt down taxi depot and drove towards Firefly Island.

"Shut it, Packie. I took up fitness because all the kids at school started calling me fat and I didn't want to become a laughing stock. And since we're on the topic of bad habits, you really need to lay off the fucking chop. You've gotten so addicted to that shit, that you can't even find women without chop in your system." Liam told Packie. He never approved of Packie's cocaine habit or Derrick's heroin habit, and never took drugs for recreational use, since he knew it destroyed people's lives. He also knew that cocaine and heroin trafficking attracted some heavy prison sentences, hence why he wasn't a particular fan of that sort of criminal business.

"Of course, of course. Ma's been trying to get me off the chop as well, and now that Katie's no longer with us, I'm actually gonna make work of that." Packie replied as he had his hands behind his head.

Liam nodded. "I'm glad to hear, Packie. I'm sure that's what Katie would've wanted." He replied back.

Packie nodded. "So, what do you think of Liberty City so far?" He asked Liam, trying to change the subject.

"It's great so far. Not that much different from Ireland though." Liam replied before he noticed a Russian gangster walking up to the car. This Russian gangster had dirty blonde hair along with a short length beard of the same color and pale blue eyes. He also wore a pair of dirty gray jeans along with a dirty white t-shirt and a dirty black leather jacket with dirty brown boots. The Russian gangster opened the door to the driver's seat and aimed a Pistol at Liam's head.

"Get out of the car and I promise you two won't get hurt." The Russian gangster told Liam and Packie calmly, obviously speaking in a thick Russian accent.

Liam didn't flinch at all as he was held at gunpoint while Packie just blinked and didn't look shocked. "We're not getting out of this car just because you demand we do." Packie told the Russian gangster, sounding very cocky. Liam then proceeded to pull the gangster into the car and punched him in the head until he let go of his Pistol.

"Good thing I enjoy a good ruck." Liam remarked as the Russian gangster ran off.

"We aren't gonna let him go for that, right, Liam? Here, have a better weapon than that scrappy little Pistol." Packie told Liam as he tossed him a Desert Eagle before Liam got out of the car and gave chase to the Russian gangster while Packie got behind the wheel and took off. Liam chased the Russian gangster all over Firefly Island before cornering him at the end of the boardwalk and holding him at gunpoint.

"Say your prayers, asshole!" Liam told the Russian gangster.

"You're making a mistake, you foolish Irishman. If you kill me, you'll have my boss stick some napalm up your ass. Keep that in mind." The Russian gangster told Liam.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Liam replied before killing the Russian gangster by shooting him in the chest. He then quickly left the boardwalk as Packie arrived with his green Oracle.

"Did you get him?" Packie asked Liam.

"I sure did. Bastard won't be bothering us anymore." Liam told Packie.

Packie grinned. "That's my cousin! Well done, Liam! Now let's get the hell out of here." He told Liam as Liam got into the passenger seat and the two of them drove off to go sightseeing around Liberty City some more.


	2. Téann An Aingeal (There Goes An Angel)

The next day, the McReary Residence was eerily quiet, and the atmosphere was grim. It was the day of Kate's funeral. Liam was already downstairs, dressed a full black suit with a black tie. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, his face buried in his hands. He slept in Kate's room for the night, and he didn't feel right sleeping there after she had just met her demise. His Auntie Maureen assured him that it was fine, but that still didn't put him at ease. He felt as if he could've been there to save Kate from death, as well as save Gerald from going back to prison. Who was gonna be the next McReary to perish? Packie? Derrick? Auntie Maureen? As these thoughts went through Liam's head, he shook his head, as he wasn't gonna let another one of his family members meet their demise. After being persuaded by them, Liam decided to stay in Liberty City permanently. He was eventually gonna go back to Ireland, but for now, he had a family in Liberty City that needed him the most.

"Up already, Liam?" The familiar voice of his Auntie Maureen sounded as Liam turned to look at her. She was already dressed for the funeral as well. Liam could see in her eyes that she was just as devastated by Kate's death as him and Packie were, but he could tell she was trying to stay strong for the sake of her remaining children and nephew.

Liam nodded sadly. "I am...I couldn't really sleep last night..." He sighed. "How do you do it, Auntie? How do you cope with the loss of Katie?" He then asked his Auntie.

His Auntie sighed and walked over to Liam, sitting down next to him and putting an arm around him. "With two of your children dead and another one in prison, you get used to the grief. Kate is in a better place now, and she's watching over us, giving us the support we need to carry on. I strongly believe that." She explained to Liam, giving him a smile, and Liam let out a smile too, even if it was just a small one.

"If you're so sure about that, Auntie, then I'll take your word for it." Liam replied.

Auntie Maureen nodded. "Come, I'll make us some Irish coffee." She said as she got up and walked to the kitchen to make Liam and herself some Irish coffee. A few minutes later, they were both sitting on the couch again, drinking their coffee. Soon after, they could hear someone come down the stairs: It was Packie, and he entered the living room dressed for the funeral.

The cocaine consuming comedian that Liam knew and recognized wasn't there today. In his place was an empty shell. Packie looked devastated, and he looked like he didn't get any sleep the previous night, like Liam. "Morning, Patrick. Couldn't get any sleep either?" His mother Maureen asked him.

"No...nothing at all..." Packie replied, trying to hold back tears. His mother nodded.

"We all couldn't really sleep last night, with the exception of Derrick." She replied before hearing a thud upstairs.

"Speak of the devil..." Packie tried to crack a joke, but it came out sounding bleak. Derrick then came downstairs, also dressed for the funeral. They then proceeded to have breakfast. Everyone was silent as they ate, before hearing the doorbell once they finished.

"...I'll get it..." Liam replied as he got up and opened the door. An old Caucasian male was standing at the door. He was bald and sported a gray handlebar mustache and a pair of glasses. The rest of the McRearys came to the door as well.

"...Are you ready to go...?" The bald man asked them. Liam looked to his family, and they nodded. They then proceeded to follow the man to the cars, most of them were black Cognoscentis with the hearse in the middle. Kate's coffin was inside the back of the hearse, with flowers all around it. Auntie Maureen sobbed as she saw the coffin and Liam offered her his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Auntie, everything's going to be fine..." He tried to assure her while trying to keep himself from crying too. Everyone then proceeded to get into the cars as they drove towards the church in Suffolk, Algonquin, where the funeral was being held. Liam sat in the back of one of the Cognoscentis together with Packie, who was sobbing.

"I can't believe this is actually happening, Liam...I just can't fucking believe it...Kate is dead, and we're going to her funeral and it's actually for real..." Packie sobbed.

Liam nodded sadly, patting his cousin on the back. "I feel ya, Packie...I have as much trouble with it as you do..." He told him.

"Us McRearys are in a state of fucking shit, and it's all my fault...Because of me and my fucking chop addiction, Gerald's in prison, the family's falling apart, our criminal empire has crumbled and we're being bitches for some guido gangsters who couldn't be bothered to even change their own underwear..." Packie sobbed further.

Liam placed his hands on his cousin's shoulders. "Listen, Packie...Everything's gonna be fine. I'll make sure that the McRearys will be in charge of Liberty City again. You have my word." He assured Packie.

Packie dried his eyes and nodded. "Thanks, Liam...You're a damn good cousin...But for now, we should focus on what we're gonna say at the funeral." He replied as he got a paper out of the breast pocket of his suit. On the paper was a speech written with a pen.

"...A speech, eh?" Liam asked.

Packie nodded. "What are you gonna say at the funeral?" He asked Liam.

"Eh, I'll improvise." He replied. Packie nodded, and the procession soon arrived at the church in Suffolk. Said church looked really out of place between the modern skyscrapers of Algonquin, but it didn't matter. Francis' funeral was held here not too long ago, so Packie felt grim coming back here again so soon.

"Why the same fucking church...?" Packie muttered as him and Liam got out of the Cognoscenti and walked up to the church. "Liam, you go inside. I'll join you in a bit." Packie told Liam. He nodded and went inside the church. The first row was reserved for the McReary Clan, and Auntie Maureen and Derrick were already sitting there, with Derrick comforting his mother. There were plenty of other guests at the funeral, most of them being colleagues from Kate's work or friends who knew her well and had good memories of her. As Liam looked to his right, he could see quite an ethnically diverse group of guests sitting in the benches. The group consisted of a fat Serbian man with a pregnant Puerto Rican woman sitting next to him. Behind them were two Jamaican men who had their eyes closed and their right hands on their chests. Next to them was a bald man who was strangely flexing his arm muscles and quietly talking to himself, and behind them was another Serbian man who appeared to look like a homosexual, and he had his eyes closed as tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Liam then turned around and saw Packie talking to a third Serbian man, and unlike the other two, this one was short and burly, and had several scars, as if he was a former soldier. Liam was pretty muscular himself, but even he wouldn't want to make this supposed ex-soldier mad. Packie noticed Liam looking at him and the Serbian man and motioned for Liam to come over, and Liam did so. "Liam, this is Niko Bellic, a tough ass nut from some unstable cesspit in Eastern Europe. He's a good friend of mine and a formidable hitman. Well, ex-hitman as of now. Niko, this is my cousin, Liam McReary, an equally tough ass nut from the old country, the green pastures of Ireland." Packie told Niko and Liam, introducing the two to each other.

Niko and Liam shook each other's hands. "Yes, hello. I've heard a lot about you from Packie." Niko replied to Liam.

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about you from Packie as well. So, you're an ex-hitman, eh?" Liam asked Niko.

"Yes, I've been working as a freelance hitman for multiple crime syndicates around this city, but I've put that life behind me now, for my cousin, his wife and their child. I now own a limosine company." He explained to Liam.

"Alright. So, how do you know Katie?" He then asked Niko out of curiosity. He figured Niko was probably a colleague from Kate's work.

"I was her boyfriend. I loved her with all my heart." Niko explained, visibly heartbroken about her death.

Liam was surprised. He never thought Kate would fall in love with a former hitman, but he nodded. "Okay. Well, I'm sure she would've loved to grow old with you, and I'm just as heartbroken about her death as you appear to be." He told Niko before sighing.

Niko nodded. "It's fine. I would've loved to grow old with her as well, but sadly, it didn't get to be." He assured Liam, who nodded in response.

"Okay, you two have a seat. I've gotta take care of some things." Packie told Niko and Liam. The two nodded and they went to take their seat, with Liam taking a seat next to his Auntie Maureen and began comforting her together with Derrick. Niko, on the other hand, took a seat next to his cousin, Roman.

Packie later sat down next to Liam, and once the final guests had arrived, Packie's good friend Gordon Sargent shut the wooden church doors. Liam hung his head as the hardest time of his life was about to begin.

The priest stepped up to the speech booth and began to speak. "We're gathered here today to say goodbye to a sweet and innocent lady. She was smart, kind, talented, beautiful, generous, and always gave so much of herself. She came from a family plagued with sinners, but even so, she was still an angel herself. She believed that you always get places being kind, and that's why she dedicated her time to helping her community, working at the community center in her home borough of Dukes. She was a woman of nobility, kindness and beliefs. She was expected to live a happy life, and find her significant other to grow old with, but alas, it didn't get to be. She suffered a fate that no person such as herself should ever have to suffer: Meeting her demise as early as she did. Kate, we will miss you dearly. Amen." The priest spoke.

"Amen." The remaining McRearys replied.

"Now, Kate's family members will each have a word about her and how they remembered her." The priest continued as he stepped away from the speech booth. One by one, the McRearys went up to the speech booth to share their memories of Kate. As they spoke, Liam was deep in thought. He still felt guilty that he couldn't have been there for Kate at the exact moment she died. He again figured he could've saved Kate from death, as well as save Gerald from prison, but he didn't, and he couldn't help but feel very guilty for not being there for his family when they needed him the most. He felt that because of him, his family was falling apart, his family's criminal empire was crumbling...Liam started feeling more and more guilty and was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that it was his turn to share memories of Kate.

Derrick nudged Liam. "Liam? It's your turn, lad." He told Liam.

Liam was snapped out of his thought train and looked at Derrick. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was in another world..." He sighed before getting up and walked up to the speech booth. He wasn't sure what to say, but he decided to improvise, as he told Packie on the way to the church. He began with childhood memories of Kate, and as he went on, he told of how Kate was such a wonderful person, how she gave so much of herself to help others and rarely ever did anything to help herself, and how he admired such a selfless lifestyle. He poured his heart into each and every word he spoke and his speech got even longer than any of the other McRearys' speeches. Liam finished his speech saying that he was gonna miss Kate with every step and every breath he took. The church erupted in applause and Liam sat back down.

Auntie Maureen turned to Liam, and Liam turned to her. "Liam...Thank you...Thank you so much...None of us had such a way with words about Kate like you had...I can't describe how much this means to me...or Packie...or Derrick..." Auntie Maureen told Liam.

Packie nodded in agreement. "You really warmed my otherwise shattered heart today, cousin..." He added.

Derrick nodded in agreement as well. "Yeah, you really hit the nail on the head with every word you said up there, lad. Good job." He added.

"Thank you...I really poured my heart into everything I said..." Liam quietly replied as he tried not to cry.

"Now, if you would all join me in the procession to the cemetery..." The priest spoke as everyone got up and proceeded to leave the church and got into their cars, then drove off in the funeral procession towards Steinway, Dukes, where Kate's grave had been prepared. Unlike Francis, Kate was gonna be buried in Dukes because she didn't disrespect her Irish roots, unlike Francis, who disrespected his Irish roots and tried to avoid his family at all costs, hence why Francis was buried on Colony Island rather than in Steinway.

Soon, the funeral procession arrived at the cemetry in Steinway, Dukes. Once they had arrived, Liam, Packie, Gordon and Niko carried Kate's coffin towards the grave, and placed the coffin inside. Soon after, Kate was buried at her grave in the Steinway cemetry. "Here you are, Katie...Heaven awaits..." Packie sadly said in a bleak tone as he had his head down.

Liam waited until he was all alone at the grave, and once he was all alone, he broke down crying, having held in all emotion until he was all alone. He dropped down on his knees, sobbing as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Poor Katie...Sweet, innocent Katie...She did NOT deserve this fate whatsoever..." Liam sobbed before calming down again, drying his eyes.

"I agree, she did not deserve this fate whatsoever..." A familiar voice sounded behind Liam as he turned to the source of the voice: It was Niko.

"Oh, hey, Niko...I guess you stayed behind too, huh...?" Liam sighed and cleared his throat.

"Yes...I could tell you loved Katie with all your heart during your speech at the church...I loved her as well, in the same way you did..." Niko told Liam.

Liam nodded. "I could tell...How did she die anyway...?" He asked Niko.

"Well, that's quite the tragic story...It happened at the same church we were today...It was my cousin's wedding, and there was this guy, and...well, he shot her dead..." Niko explained.

Liam's pupils shrunk. "She was shot dead by someone...?" He asked in a horrified tone. Niko silently nodded. Liam got enraged and shook Niko like a madman. "Who the fuck did this?! I swear I will hunt that scum ridden son of a bitch down and I will shoot him, and I will shoot his fucking wife, and I will shoot all his fucking children, and I will shoot them all in the back of their little fucking heads!" He shouted in an enraged tone.

"Well..." Niko tried to explain before Liam interrupted him.

"It doesn't matter! I have a family who needs me right now! Revenge can wait!" Liam shouted before he left the cemetry in a rage, unaware of Niko's role in Kate's death.

Liam later joined up with Packie and Derrick at the Steinway Beer Garden, having changed back into his regular clothes. Packie and Derrick had changed back into their regular clothes as well, and they decided to go have a cold one in Katie's memory. The McRearys were popular people at this pub, as well as the Lucky Winkles pub in Purgatory, since both pubs had a portrait of Derrick on the wall.

Packie was feeling a lot better now that the funeral was over and done with, and him, Derrick and Liam entered the pub. "Alright, Liam, you and Derrick go grab a drink, I'll join you in a bit, I gotta go take care of some business." Packie told Liam.

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on Derrick and make sure he doesn't do any smack. I don't want him to be the next McReary to perish or take a stint in the joint." Liam replied to Packie.

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Liam. I ain't doing any smack right after Katie's funeral." Derrick assured Liam.

"You better not do that, or I'll smack ya across the room with whatever I can get my hands on." Liam pointed out before him and Derrick went up to the bar and sat down. Packie went to go take care of his business in the meantime.

As Liam sat down at the bar, he noticed the barmaid. She was a Caucasian young lady in her early 20s and she had medium length curly blonde hair, pale blue eyes, bright pink lips, a C-cup breast size and she wore a short sleeved blue denim vest with blue jeans and a white apron. Liam couldn't help but feel attracted to this young lady, and he gazed off into the distance from her beauty.

Derrick couldn't help but chuckle at this and waved his hand in front of Liam's face. "Eh, Liam. Ya there, lad?" He asked his younger cousin.

"Whuh? Huh, oh yeah, I'm still here..." Liam replied.

The barmaid giggled. "Hi, my name is Sarah Bennington, I work at this bar. You must be Liam McReary." Unlike most people in the pub, she spoke in a British accent.

"Yeah, I'm Liam McReary..." Liam replied.

"Your cousins told me a lot about you. I was also a good friend of Kate before she recently died. I'm sorry about your loss." Sarah told Liam.

Liam nodded. "It's okay, she's in a better place now." He assured her.

Sarah nodded back. "Okay. So, what can I get you and Derrick?" She asked.

"I'll have the usual, lass." Derrick replied.

Sarah nodded to Derrick before turning back to Liam. "And you?" She asked.

"I'll have a shot of gin." Liam replied.

Sarah nodded and made the two McRearys their orders and put them down on the bar. "Since you're short on cash, seeing ya just got to the city, drinks are on me." Derrick told Liam as he paid for the drinks.

Liam smiled. "Thanks, Derrick." He replied to his cousin as he quickly downed his drink. Packie then walked up to Liam and Derrick.

"Alright, boys, I hate to leave already, but we got business to take care of." Packie told Liam and Derrick as they turned to him.

"What? Now? Just after Katie's funeral?" Liam asked Packie in disbelief.

"I know, it's not great timing, but if we want our criminal empire restored back to its former glory, we have to start now. I managed to get us a job. So, there's this Ancelotti arms dealer that we need to find. He's got a briefcase that we need to take off of him. Said briefcase contains details of an arms shipment that's gonna be coming into the city through the docks of Broker. Once we have the details, we're gonna intercept the arms shipment and steal it for our use. If us McRearys want to stop being bitches to a buncha guido gangsters, we gotta arm ourselves to the teeth, which is why we need this arms shipment. Got all that?" Packie asked Liam and Derrick.

"I got it, Patrick. Just let me finish my drink real quick." Derrick replied as he quickly began drinking his drink.

"I got it too, cousin. Let's get it over with." Liam nodded. Once Derrick had finished his drink, the three McRearys left the Steinway Beer Garden and got into a green Oracle, then drove off to find this Ancelotti arms dealer.


	3. Cousins In Arms

Liam, Packie and Derrick were driving their green Oracle through the streets of Liberty City, looking for the Ancelotti arms dealer who was carrying the details of an arms shipment that the McRearys were going to intercept. "Okay, Liam, if my sources are correct, then this arms dealer should be hanging around Star Junction, so let's head down there and see if he's anywhere around there." Packie told Liam.

Liam nodded. "Alright, cousin. Let's head over there and see if the guy is around there." He replied as he began driving towards Star Junction.

"So, how are we all feeling? We all ready to start getting back to the top of the Liberty City underworld?" Packie asked Liam and Derrick. Packie was fed up with being slaves to the mafia, so he wanted the McRearys to regain the status they once had more than Liam and Derrick.

"Long as there's blood pumping through me veins and air's flowing through me lungs, then I'm all set to get us McRearys back to the top, Patrick. I'm in." Derrick replied to his younger brother. Derrick was still crippled from his heroin addiction, but now that his family needed him more than ever, he was gonna do his best to stay off the heroin, since his family couldn't afford to lose him as well.

"That's what I like to hear, Derrick. If we wanna become big boys who operate independently from the guido gangsters in Alderney, we gotta stop shoving Bolivian candy up our noses and sticking needles in our arms, so no more heroin, Derrick. Do you understand that?" Packie asked his older brother sternly.

"Course I'll stop doing that shit, Patrick. Long as you stop shoving half of Bolivia up your nose every Saturday night, we should be all set to initiate our second rise to power." Derrick replied again. Seems that the eldest McReary child was gonna keep his promise as long as Packie would keep it as well.

"Of course I'm gonna stop snorting chop, you smackhead. I can't be at my criminal best whilst under influence of Vinewood talcum powder." Packie replied back. Seems that Packie was gonna keep his promise as well.

"That's what I like to hear, cousins. Let's try and find this Ancelotti arms dealer and "persuade" him to give up his documents." Liam replied with a cocky smile as he kept driving through the streets of Liberty City.

"If my sources are correct, this guy likes to dress for success, and is a particular fan of wearing Didier Sachs clothing, so let's have a look over there." Packie suggested. Liam then drove over there, and soon arrived at a Didier Sachs clothing store on Kunzite Street and Colombus Avenue on Star Junction in Algonquin.

"Alright, we're here. Let's see if our target is around here." Liam remarked as he scanned his eyes across the area around the Didier Sachs store, trying to find the target. Soon, the target left the Didier Sachs store dressed in a brand new charcoal 3-piece suit with chocolate brown loafers. He was carrying the briefcase with the details to the arms shipment in his right hand. He then began walking down the street.

"There's our target, right on time. Okay, Liam, I want you to follow this guy, but don't get too close or he'll get suspicious. Then, once he gets to a quiet spot, you can take him out and grab the plans. Got it?" Packie asked Liam as he looked at him.

"I'll take care of it, cousin. You take the wheel in the meantime." Liam replied as he got out of the green Oracle and began walking down the street as well, quietly following the arms dealer. In the meantime, Packie got behind the wheel of the green Oracle and began driving it as if him and Derrick were just two normal guys driving in LC traffic.

Eventually, Liam followed the arms dealer to a quiet spot, so he snuck up behind the arms dealer and knocked him out, then grabbed the briefcase with the details to the arms shipment inside. "There we go. Even in the United States, I'm still a stealthy theft artist." Liam told himself before noticing Packie and Derrick pull up in their green Oracle.

"Well, shit. Looks like you did it, cousin. I'm pleased as fucking punch." Packie told Liam with a grin. He was happy that his cousin didn't screw up this simple task, and with the details to the arms shipment obtained, they could move on to the next step of their plan.

"Of course, Packie. I've always been good at stealing, so this ain't nothing new for me." Liam laughed as he got into the green Oracle, and the three McRearys drove off. The three McRearys were unaware that the whole scene was being watched by a Caucasian man with blue eyes, blond hair and a blond handlebar mustache who wore a zipped up brown leather coat, stonewashed blue jeans, brown boots and purple aviator shades. This man had watched the scene from his red Infernus.

"Hmmmm...so the McRearys are planning something, eh? The boss might be interested in this..." The man spoke in an Upstate New York accent before driving off.

Sometime later, Liam decided to go for a drive through Liberty City by himself to get himself familiar with the city. Packie was nice enough to lend him a green Vincent, and Liam had promised Auntie Maureen that he wouldn't get in trouble or get killed, and after that, he went on his way. The Irishman was now driving through the streets of Liberty City, and it was raining all over the city. Liam groaned as he was driving through the rain. Sure, he was used to the rain from back in Ireland, but he still preferred sunny weather over rainy weather. Trying to get his mind off the rainy weather, he decided to turn on the radio, since that should help to deal with this rainy nightmare.

The radio began playing hiphop music from The Beat 102.7. "Sure, I like hiphop, but I ain't in the mood for that shit right now." Liam muttered as he switched the radio station to Liberty Rock Radio, which played classic rock, pop rock and heavy metal. Liam smiled hearing the music. "That's more like it." He said to himself as he listened to it while he drove. Suddenly, his phone began buzzing. As Liam was driving, he put the caller on speakerphone so he could hear them better as he drove. "McReary." Liam told the caller as he answered the phone.

"Liam, it's me, your cousin, Gerry. I'm calling from Alderney State Correctional Facility." The voice of Liam's older cousin, Gerald McReary, better known as Gerry sounded on the phone.

"Oh, shit! Gerry! How you doing, cousin?" Liam asked his cousin, happy to speak to him.

"As well as I can do in here. Listen, I've put you on the visitors list. Come and see me, because I wanna discuss things with you." Gerry explained to Liam.

"Okay, Gerry. I got enough time on hands anyway, so I'll come by. See you soon." Liam replied as he hung up the phone and drove towards Alderney State Correctional Facility, where Gerry was doing time. Once he arrived at the prison, he got out of the car and went inside. He then found Gerry in his prison uniform, sitting behind glass at the phone. Gerry had his face in his hands, but removed them and saw Liam walking in. Liam sat down and put the phone to his ear, with Gerry doing the same thing.

"Hey, Liam. It's been ages since I last saw you, cousin." Gerry spoke with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah, same here, Gerry. It's a shame that we have to reunite under these circumstances." Liam replied. "And I'm...sorry about Katie..." He said, sounding bleak at the mention of Katie's name. He was still sad that Katie was no longer with them, but was trying his best to stay strong for the sake of his family.

Gerry sighed, sounding bleak as well. "Yeah, Katie's death was very unfortunate...She never did anything wrong, and while we weren't exactly close, I still hoped that she would be able to find herself a man to grow old with, but it didn't get to be...Fuck, I'll miss her..." He replied, doing his best to stay strong in front of his cousin, but it appears he was just as devastated by Kate's death as the rest of the McRearys.

"Right..." Liam nodded. "So, what did you summon me here for?" He asked Gerry, trying to change the subject and get to the business at hand.

"Right, about that...Packie told me that you guys are trying to "stock up." 'Cause if you wanna move up in the world, you gotta have stocks. Call Packie, he'll let you in on more details." Gerry explained to Liam.

Liam nodded. "Okay, cousin. I'll see you later...hopefully." He told his older cousin.

"Yeah. Hey, Liam, before you go...I'm glad you came back to LC. It was getting pretty fucked up without you around, you know that?" Gerry asked his younger cousin.

"I get it, Gerry. I get it. See you soon." Liam replied before he hung up the phone, got up and left the Alderney State Correctional Facility. He then proceeded to call Packie.

"Gerry told me to call you." Liam told Packie as soon as he picked up.

"Right. So, it's time to move on that arms shipment. Here's the shot: You, me and Gordon are heading down to the docks of Broker, and we're gonna intercept the arms shipment there. There's gonna be Ancelottis all over the docks, so we gotta be careful about where we set foot on the docks. Once the arms shipment is loaded into the truck, we intercept it and take it to a warehouse down at East Island City, where we'll store it for future use." Packie explained to Liam.

"Is it really gonna be that simple, Packie? If there's something I've learned from doing jobs that sound easier than they really are, it's that they're not be underestimated. One time back in the old country, I had to steal a truckload of counterfeit bills from one of the rival mobs in Belfast. I was told it was gonna be easy, but there were about 50 fucking Irish mobsters over the place and I barely made it out alive with that truck." Liam told Packie, knowing the dangers of jobs that sound easier than they really are.

"I understand your concern, Liam, but trust me: It's all gonna be fine. If Derrick, Niko and I made it out of the bank heist alive, then this'll be a walk in Middle Park." Packie assured Liam, being confident that nothing was gonna go wrong during this job.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it then, Packie. But don't say I didn't warn you if it does go to shit." Liam replied back.

"Just come over to Ma's house. Gordon and I are waiting there on you." Packie told Liam before hanging up. Liam then proceeded to drive back to the McReary Residence to find Packie and his friend Gordon Sargent waiting there for him. Liam pulled up to them and honked the horn.

"There he is!" Packie said as him and Gordon walked over to the green Vincent and stepped inside. Packie was riding shotgun and Gordon was in the back. "Drive us to the Broker Navy Yard, Liam." Packie then told Liam, who nodded and proceeded to start driving there.

"Well, time to rob the fucking Mafia, I guess." Liam then spoke as he was driving towards the Broker Navy Yard.

"Damn right we're robbing the Mafia, cousin. It's time us McRearys regained the influence we once had, 'cause I'm sick and tired of being slaves to a bunch of guido gangsters who are so lazy that they won't even scratch their own asses." Packie replied with a determined tone in his voice. Looks like he was really determined to restore the McRearys' criminal empire to its former glory.

"Just be careful when we're back on top, Packie, 'cause you might just end up becoming one of 'em guido gangsters who can't be bothered to scratch their own asses." Gordon Sargent spoke up in the back.

"Shut up, Gordon, or I'll come back there and kick your ass in a fucking minute!" Packie retorted in an annoyed tone.

"Hey, Liam. If there's anything I've learned from hanging with Packie, it's that he tries to act all tough and emotionless, but he's a big bowl of sadness underneath that thick skin." Gordon told Liam to further mock Packie.

"No need to tell me, Gordon. I already knew that from growing up with him." Liam replied as he kept driving towards the Broker Navy Yard. Liam did spend most of his childhood and teenage years being raised by his Auntie Maureen in Liberty City because his mother died when he was a young boy and his father joined the Irish Navy and was gone from home a lot. Once he turned 18, he returned to Ireland and settled there up until now. That said, he knew how his cousins were from his time growing up with them.

Gordon laughed at that. "I shouldn't have expected anything less from another McReary such as yourself, Liam." The Irishman told Liam.

"Whatever. I'm just trying to stay out of your petty arguments and focus on the task at hand." Liam replied back as he kept on driving towards the Broker Navy Yard.

"See, Gordon? At least _someone_ is trying to focus on the task at hand, unlike your immature mocking ass." Packie told Gordon.

"Whatever, I'm just an Irish-American thug trying to get by in this shithole of a city." Gordon replied before everyone went quiet until they got to the Broker Navy Yard.

"Alright, we're here. Let's go find a vantage point to observe the situation from. Follow me, guys." Packie told Liam and Gordon as the three Irishmen got out of the green Vincent and made their way to a vantage point.

"Well, judging by all those Italians around the area, I'd say this is where the shit is supposed to go down." Liam remarked as him, Packie and Gordon observed the situation.

"Yep." Packie replied before seeing a Tugboat coming in to dock. "And if I'm not mistaken, that's the boat with the arms shipment inside, right on time." He added.

"So, the plan was to steal the arms shipment once it was loaded into the truck, right, Packie?" Liam asked his cousin as he looked at him.

"Yep. But before we take the truck, we gotta take out these Ancelotti bastards. Can't have a bunch of angry wacko Italians making holes in us, you know? So, once the truck is loaded up, you and Gordon clean up on the ground while I cover you with a Sniper Rifle." Packie explained.

"Doing the easy work on the job, eh? You've always been a cheapskate criminal, Packie." Gordon mockingly told Packie.

"Just get your ass down there and start cleaning out those Italians with Liam before I push your ass off this building, Gordon!" Packie quietly but angrily told Gordon.

"Let's just get this over with, Gordon. Once this is over with, you and Packie can continue bickering." Liam told Gordon before the two of them made their way down to the ground and started fighting the Ancelottis with whatever weapons they had at their disposal at that moment. Packie kept his promise and covered Liam and Gordon with his Sniper Rifle. Then, once the Ancelottis at the docks were cleaned out, Liam and Gordon stepped into the Yankee that was loaded up with the Ancelottis' arms shipment.

"If you two drive that truck to the warehouse, I'll cover you on the way there." Packie told Liam and Gordon.

"Okay, cousin. See what you can do." Liam replied before him and Gordon drove off to the warehouse in East Island City while Packie drove behind them in one of the Ancelottis' Cognoscentis that he stole. As they were driving towards the warehouse, the Ancelottis came after the trio to try and stop them.

"Looks like those Italian bastards are really determined to stop us, are they?" Gordon asked as he noticed the attacking Ancelottis.

"Sure looks like it. They don't like being robbed, I guess." Liam remarked as he kept driving the Yankee to the warehouse.

"That's a lesson I've learned. Fucking Packie said it'd be easy." Gordon sighed as he began shooting at the Ancelottis.

As they drove, Liam looked behind him. "What the hell? There's a box of grenades in the truck cab!" He said as he saw the grenades.

"Well, use 'em to blow those asshole Italians to smithereens then!" Gordon suggested as he kept shooting. Liam grabbed some grenades, activated them and tossed them at the attacking Ancelottis' cars, causing them to blow up.

"Woohoo! That's some exciting shit right there!" Gordon exclaimed as he saw the Ancelottis meet their explosive demise.

"That'll teach those Italian cunts not to fuck with the McRearys." Liam remarked as him, Gordon and Packie arrived at the warehouse in East Island City, and drove the Yankee inside. Liam and Gordon then walked out of the warehouse, where Packie was waiting for them with the Ancelotti Cognoscenti.

"Well done, boys. This our first stop in our second rise to power. I'll tell Gerry we did good today. He'll be pleased as fucking punch." Packie told Liam and Gordon.

"Yeah, I bet. I hope we'll be able to make him happy while he's in the joint knowing that we're carrying the family business back to the top." Liam replied to Packie.

"Okay. Get in, and I'll drive us home." Packie said as Liam and Gordon stepped inside the Cognoscenti and the three of them drove off.


End file.
